A lot of these articles cover much of the same ground, but that is an indication that there is some consensus of what the problems are. It's pretty easy to diagnose, and many of the solutions are what politicians and pundits call "common sense."

My fear is that this discussion on Guinea Lynx, a very small slice of mostly-American culture that has coalesced around a love of guinea pigs and by extension all animals (except spiders, who have a small, vocal anti-fan club), gets VERY FEW EYES AND COMMENTS. Folks are choosing not to engage it. They are turning away. And this is a reflection of the greater culture.

Yeah, I probably sound like the white liberal scold that nobody wants to hear. But these are not my voices that I am posting. I am only scolding people to read them. The fact that it seems like very few people are reading them is the problem and our world will never get better if we don't confront the issues, and people's reluctance to engage the issues.

Snowflakey - your pessimism is showing. I wouldn't assume people aren't reading these links. Sometimes it's hard to know how to respond. You've taken a lot of time to research, read and process. You're probably ahead of most folks in that respect. You're right that many of us haven't taken the same amount of time that you may have to read and soul search. But I hope you're not saying that it's an indication that people don't care or aren't interested.

Having been a crusader for another human rights cause, I found there are several circles, or layers, of involvement. There are the truly passionate activists, who storm the strongholds and demand radical change - now. And then there's another circle - no idea where in relation to the previous circle - of people who live their day to day lives, trying to do the right thing, interacting with all sorts of people in their neighborhood and lives.

Are people turning away and refusing to engage? Maybe some of them are refusing to engage with what they perceive as the politicization and radical actions of that first circle. But I don't know of anyone who isn't thinking differently about race, sexual orientation, gender and other issues these days. Most people are out there just trying to live their lives, wanting to do the right thing, wanting to treat people decently and right. And perhaps afraid, because they don't know what to do or say in this world that keeps changing.

The first time I regularly interacted with a person of color was in high school. I remember lying in bed at night, listening to the gun fire during the race riots in Plainfield. And now, it's a really different world. Not just in regards to black people, but all sorts of different people - East Indian, Muslim (yes, I know that's a religion not a race/country), Egyptian, Hindu (ditto), Hispanic, etc. When I was growing up, all I knew about the above folks were the pictures I saw in textbooks.

You've given people alot to read here. Give people time. And sometimes silence is a reaction to processing and not just denial.

Take heart Snowflakey and keep your efforts strong. People are listening

I'm currently entertaining myself with the Shakespearean plots within the Tory Party in the UK. Holy moly. Blood is flowing! And of course, there is a gigantic racist component of that whole Brexit mess as well.

The Chris Hedges essay SF linked to above is quite powerful! I do think he gives short shrift to people of color who "make it". It is these people the corporate elite can point to and therefore blame the most poor and struggling for their problems.

You may think that you are not a part of this, but you are wrong. That’s just a lie that your willful ignorance and purposeful blindness perpetuates, to protect your conscience. This is absolutely about you, many, many of you. There are more bloody hands than meet the eye.

When the law shoots down 12-year-old children, or beats down old women on traffic islands, or chokes people to death over cigarettes; when the law shoots people over compact discs, traffic stops, drivers’ licenses, loud conversation, or car trouble; when the law auctions off its monopoly on lethal violence to bemused civilians, when these civilians then kill, and when their victims are mocked in their death throes; when people stand up to defend police as officers of the state, and when these defenders are killed by these very same officers; when much of this is recorded, uploaded, live-streamed, tweeted, and broadcast; and when government seems powerless, or unwilling, to stop any of it, then it ceases, in the eyes of citizens, to be any sort of respectable law at all. It simply becomes “force.”

I haven't commented before now but would like to offer empathy. The UK also suffers from structural racism. In the inquest into Stephen Lawrence's murder it was stated that the Metropolitan Police force is institutionally racist. Later we had the shooting of Mark Duggan by police officers, which sparked riots in many cities. We also have unexplained deaths of BAME people in custody. The officers involved never seem to face repercussions.